Dredging-machine.



I. PETERSON. DREDGIHG MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2a, 1909. zz'smwnn 11110.26, 1911.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 11 awe Airman I. PETERSON.

DREDGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED D50. 28, 1909. RENEWED DBO. 26, 1911.

1,034,501. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

1. PETERSON. I DRBDGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 28, 1909. RENEWED 13110.26, 1911.

1,034,501 Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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I 7 IL i I i4 5 u i 45 I 4f 1 I y Q5 llmllml w/rn/Esss.- 3a 1' lNl/E/VTUH M w Isaac Petersazw ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC PETERSON, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

' nnnneme-iimcnmn.

Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented Aug. 6, 191.2.

Application filed December 28, 1909, Serial No. 535,260. Renewed December SE6, 1911. Serial No. 867,940;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac PETERSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dredging- Machines, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention relates to the subject of excavating, and the principal object of the same is to provide an excavatingapparatus that is adapted for use in connection with placer mining.

In carrying out the .object of the invention generally stated above it is contemplated providing'a movable dumping platform that is equipped with cable operating drums; a shovel that has cable connections with said drums so that'the shovel may be drawn to oraway from the platform and which transports said shovel in a straight direction relative to the said platform, and shifting cables and operating means therefor which cotiperatewith anchored means to permit the shovel to be moved laterally as the platform'is similarly moved so that the shovel may be caused to operate upon a different portion of the surface during its digging movement. v

In connection with the fore oing, it is contemplated providing the s ovel with traction wheels that are each equipped with a motor, the motors being energized by feed and thereby minimize the power necessary to pull the shovel to or from the dumping platform. I

In the practical application of theinvention it will be understod, of course, that the essential features thereof are susceptible of changes in details and structural arrangements, one preferred and practical embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein igure 1 is atop plan view, shown diagrammatically, of the improved excavating apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the shovel employed. Fig. 4 is a side view thereof. 4 Fig. 5 is an end view of the shovel. Fig. 6 is aviewQin side elevation of one ofthe Wheels of the shovel, one side plate there'of being removed to expose the interior of the wheel. Fig. 7 is a central vertical sectional view of one of obvious.

and from pulley 21 the said wheels, part of the axle thereof being also shown. Fig. 8 is a horizontalsec- 'tional view taken substantially on the line 8.8, Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is afragmentary view of one of the propelling cables. Fig. 10 is sIt 'sectional view taken on the line 10-10,

In the accompanying drawing the improved excavatlng apparatus has been shown as used for placer mining, the dumping platform 1 being shown on a beach front and provided with an apron or runway 2 that extends slightly beyond the waters edge. 'Said platform 1 is provided with supporting rollers 3 that are mounted on tracks 4 so that said platform maybe bodily moved along the beach front when necessary or desirable. A hopper 5 is carried by the platform'at the inner end of-the runway 2, said hopper communicating with a sluice box 6 beneath the platform.

A- pair of drums 78 are mounted on the platform 1, said drums being oppositely driven by a motor 9 also mounted on latform 1. Said motor and drums are 0 the usual type that are employed for operating excavating shovels, hence the same have only been conventionally illustrated. -A' pair of drum supporting casings 10-11 are retained submerged and suitably spaced apart bymeans of the anchors 12, said casing carrying an enlarged central drum 13. A Windlass 14 is suitably mounted on the beach behind the platform 1 and has. a cable wound thereon whose flights 15-16 project in opposite directions. Flight 15 passes over a beach pulley 17 to and around the drum 13 of easing 10'and has its end fastened to one end of a shovel shifting frame 18 that is located in alinement with and between casings 10-11. Theother flight 16 passes over a beach pulley 17 thence. to and around drum 13 of casing 11 and is fastened to the opposite end of frame 18. This arrangement of cable and shore Windlass providin means whereby the said frame '18 may e bodily moved relative to casin 1011 by revolving Windlass 14, as will be A cable 19 extends from drum 7 to and i over at guide pulley 20 carried by platform 1,

thenceito and over a pulley 21 on casing 10, it extends to and overa pulley 22 on frame 18 and is then extended toward the platform 1 and is clamped with in an-opening 23 in the outwardly rounded rd rail'24 at the rear end'of a shovel 25. other cable 26 extends from drum-8 1n a straight line to and through a clam mg 'openmg 27 in the front guard rail 28 0 the shovel 25. be obvious,,cable 19 is used. for drawing shovel toward, frame 18, while cable 26 draws the shovel to'the platform 1 where it dumps its load through the hop er 5 to the sluice box 6.

The s ovel 25is composed of a supportm frame 29 that is provided ,with'a front an .re'ar king bolt 30 that has a s ring 31 coiled about it so thatsaidbolts wil yieldably and ivotally support the hangers. 32 for the out and rear axles 3 334. Said bolts also have one end of a supportm chain 35 connectedto them, the other en.

' of said chains being fastened to the central forward-portions of the guard rails. Side bearings 36 are, carried bythe shovel frame 29 in which the shovlbody 37 'is pivotally supported. Said body has-the bottom of its open end provided with forwardly projectingcutting'teeth ,38. At'the-forward end "of the top of the body 37 a pair of oppositely disposed upwardly pjoject ng pivot ugs 39 are provided eat in equipped with a latchinglip 40 having a andgri 41 so that said lips may be thrown over e sides of the frame 29 to retain the shovel' body in a position where its cutting teeth '38 will be cleariof the surface being excavated, I

The front and rear axles 3334 are of duplicate construction and are hollow, the outer end of each being internally threaded as indicated at 42. A pair of wheels 43 are provided for 'each axle, the wheels being duplicates and each in the form of a hollow casing having peripheral teeth 44. The wheels are provided witha sleeve extension 45 that isfitted'over the. end of its; axle and is. held watertight thereon by the stufiing box 46. 'Two enlarged gear rings'47-48 are arranged within each wheel, one ring being fast on, each side thereof. An electric motor 49 is also within each, wheel, said motor having an externally threaded sup- .--porting sleeve 50 that has a rigid but de' tachable threaded engagement with the ins ternally threaded end 42 of the axle. The motor has oppositely projecting end shafts, 51-52, that are arranged on an incline and terminate in bevel gears 53-54,: that are held in mesh. with the gear. rings 4748.

The wheels are preferably air tight and may be provided wlth a valve controlled air vent 55.

The shovel operating cables 19 26 are of the type shown in Figs. 9 and 10 and inclose the" feed wires 56. The cables extend. through theclamping opening of the ard rails and their feed wires brancho and pass through the hollow axles and connect Allith the .wheel motors.

Th guard rails'2 1-2B are, of duplicate construction and have ends supported by the'lug 57 that project centrally from the outer side of each wheel. .Sflld rails are also braced bythe yoke 58 that has its ends en'- gaged over the stufling box of the axles.

It will be seen from the foregoing that 4 motors in connection with each wheel, the

operations of the shovel'are performed with the expenditure of theiminimuni amount of ower. 1 p It ill'be'understood, ofcourse, that in some cases it may not be possible to use the shovelshifting means; nor the cable '19, such for example, when excavating is bein done v on sea coasts where the rough water Wlll not permit- (if the use of the anchored drums.

In such cases, the shovels 25, through their described means-of selfrepulsion, maybe permitted to run out tot. edesired-distance and then be drawn in 'by the use of the cable 26.

What I claim as my invention is '1. An apparatus of the" character de-.

scribed comprisin an excavator, wheels therefor, a motor or operating each wheel,

cables cooperating with said wheels-topro pel .said excavator-said cables inclosing feed wires. for said motors, operating said cables.

2. An apparatus of the 1 character. .ide scribed com rising an excavator, hollow] wheels there or, a motor in each wheel for propelling the same, and cables cotiperating with said motors to propel said excavator,

said cable inclo'sing feed'wi'res for said motors; 3. An. apparatus platform, a hopper carried by said'platform and means for;

v of character 'described comprising amovable dumpingplat form, a sluicebox arranged -beneath said and communicating with said sluice box, an

excavator for delivering material to said hopper, meansfor operating said excavator,

and means for shifting of said excavator.

the cutting position vided with bearings, a shovel-body pivotally mounted in said bearings, upstanding pivotstuds projecting from said body, a latchin lip projecting from each stud and adapted to be engaged with said frame to retain said rail for each end of said excavator and provided with clamped openings, a cable pass apparatus of theecharacter de-- scribed comprising. an" excavator frame proin throu h each clampi opening, feed wi es incl sed by said cab l e s and connected with said motors, and means for operating said cables to cause-the same to cooperate with said motors to propel the excavator.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising a dumping platform, a Windlass therefor, a cable Wound upon said Windlass, and an excavator provided with self-propelling means, said excavator being connected to said cable.

7. An apparatus of the character described com rising an excavator frame, wheels there or, an electric motor for each Wheel, a dumpin platform, a winding cable extending there 0m and connected to said frame, and feed wires for said motors'inclosed by said cable.-

8. An apparatus of the character described comprising a dumping platform, a motor driven excavator, a winding cable connecting said excavator to said platform, and means controlled from said platform copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the for shifting the digging position of said excavator.

9. An apparatus. of the character described comprising a self-propelled excavator, a dumping platform, a cable connection between said platform and said excavator, and means cont-rolled from said platform for shifting the digging position of sa d excavator.

10. An apparatus of the character described comprising an excavator frame,

Wheels therefor, an electric motor for oper atin each wheel, dumping mechanism, a win ing cable connection between said dumping mechanism and said frame, and feed wires for said motors inclosed by said Winding cable.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC PETERSON. Witnesses:

F. P. SCHROEDER, H. C. SCHROEDER.

"Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C. 

